Thursday night, with cans in hand and frustration from parking out the window, Derrick and I made our way into the fair. It was both of our first time in years and our first time together. We were there to meet up with our life group at church - and it would be my first "group of friends" trip to the fair.
What I like about the fair:
Walking around with friends - It was a fun dynamic. Very Noah's Ark as we all had our "buddy", and we fell in line two-by-two. Then we'd find ourselves with new buddies, talking and eating and getting to know each other better. We'd celebrate each time we walked 20 feet by huddling together and discussing what was our next stop. Sometimes people would disappear for periods of time...but they'd find their way back eventually.
Seeing the people of North Carolina - It could have been Honey Boo Boo's family reunion. With the food. The wardrobe. The political stickers. The stuffed animals.The character...
The lights and romance - There's something romantic, small-town, movie-magical about the lights and sounds and blurry busy-ness of the fair. The heritage. The tradition. What can you expect from a girl whose favorite movie is The Notebook?
What I don't like about the fair:
The crowd - So many people everywhere! Derrick and I don't do well with crowds. In fact, if it weren't for our awesome friends - we probably would have just gotten his turkey leg and headed out.
The overwhelmingness - I get overwhelmed easily. At the library I always go back to the exact same books because otherwise I would get overwhelmed with so many books and give up. I like Aldi because there are only one or two brands of everything - at Food Lion I get overwhelmed by my choices and give up. The fair is the same way...so many vendors with so much food yelling so many things and selling so many things. The overwhelmingness was reason one why I didn't buy anything for myself at the fair.
The prices - I'm cheap - and unlike people who have their thing that they always have to get at the fair - I don't. Lemonade for $5. Funnel Cakes for $7. Cotton Candy for $7. Ham Biscuits for $4. I can make lemonade. Funnel cakes and cotton candy aren't necessary. And my Mama makes a mean ham biscuit for free. The cost was reason two why I didn't buy anything for myself at the fair.
Overall, it was a very fun experience, and I feel blessed that we had such great friends to share it with...and that I had a husband's hand to hold so that I didn't get lost!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thank God...for His Word!
I love the Bible.
I love that it's a beautiful, poetic, straight-forward, at times hard to understand, easy to apply, historical, spiritual window into Christian history, God, and Jesus Christ.
I love meeting new people in the Bible. Seeing their Christian walk. Understanding their struggle. Sharing their passion. Learning their heart. Witnessing how God used them.
I love delving into a new book in the Bible. Learning the culture and context. Getting to know the heart of the author and his perspective. Seeing God in new ways. Growing closer to the heart and purpose and will of Jesus.
I love the different styles of the books of the Bible. Stories. Encouragement. Poetry. History. Pleading. Presenting. Straight-forward. Lyrical. All sharing in one purpose.
I love the women of the Bible. Their story. Their struggle. Their insecurities. Their mission. Their purpose. Their triumph.
I love Peter, and his sometimes-misguided passion. I love that he actually got out of the boat.
I love Paul, his transformation, his perseverance, his determination, his joy, and the letters he shared with us.
I love that one day I'll get to meet all of these people in heaven (I still can't really wrap my mind around that one).
Most of all, I love seeing the heart of God through His Son Jesus Christ. And walking beside Jesus on His journey to save me.
I love being encouraged and challenged. I love the wow moments. The in-awe moments. The humbling moments. The get up and do something moments. The bow at the foot of the cross moments.
If you haven't taken time lately to really dive into the Bible and study it hard core...I would encourage you to set aside 15-30 minutes this weekend to hang out with Jesus through His letter to you.
I love that it's a beautiful, poetic, straight-forward, at times hard to understand, easy to apply, historical, spiritual window into Christian history, God, and Jesus Christ.
I love meeting new people in the Bible. Seeing their Christian walk. Understanding their struggle. Sharing their passion. Learning their heart. Witnessing how God used them.
I love delving into a new book in the Bible. Learning the culture and context. Getting to know the heart of the author and his perspective. Seeing God in new ways. Growing closer to the heart and purpose and will of Jesus.
I love the different styles of the books of the Bible. Stories. Encouragement. Poetry. History. Pleading. Presenting. Straight-forward. Lyrical. All sharing in one purpose.
I love the women of the Bible. Their story. Their struggle. Their insecurities. Their mission. Their purpose. Their triumph.
I love Peter, and his sometimes-misguided passion. I love that he actually got out of the boat.
I love Paul, his transformation, his perseverance, his determination, his joy, and the letters he shared with us.
I love that one day I'll get to meet all of these people in heaven (I still can't really wrap my mind around that one).
Most of all, I love seeing the heart of God through His Son Jesus Christ. And walking beside Jesus on His journey to save me.
I love being encouraged and challenged. I love the wow moments. The in-awe moments. The humbling moments. The get up and do something moments. The bow at the foot of the cross moments.
If you haven't taken time lately to really dive into the Bible and study it hard core...I would encourage you to set aside 15-30 minutes this weekend to hang out with Jesus through His letter to you.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
What's news?
I have missed my Marriage Monday, What's up Wednesday, and Thank GOD it's Friday blogs these past few weeks, so I thought I would take a few minutes to share a few observations with you.
The past two nights Derrick and I have actually stayed up to watch the first 15 minutes of the 11 p.m. news on Channel 17/NBC (because it came on after Revolution and Parenthood).
I never watch the news. I like to live in a bubble. But I've found that the recent local news is a bit Shakespearean - both comical and tragic. Here are my thoughts...
1. Since when is Pam Saulsby on Channel 17 !? Oh, Pam, what happened?
2. A lot of junk happens in Durham.
3. A man was found dead at the bottom of a river with cinder blocks and chains...but no foul play is suspected. Ummm...?
4. One certain candidate is ahead with "people who are expected to vote", so the other candidate is pushing to get everyone else registered...Personally, I think it's the people who care enough and are responsible enough to register themselves, be involved, and go vote that should be choosing the president - not the random other people who don't care enough to vote except when someone else does all the work for them (including telling them who to vote for).
5. Homeless people vote. That's something I've never really thought about before.
6. Channel 17 news is not very good.
...oh, Pam, what happened?
The past two nights Derrick and I have actually stayed up to watch the first 15 minutes of the 11 p.m. news on Channel 17/NBC (because it came on after Revolution and Parenthood).
I never watch the news. I like to live in a bubble. But I've found that the recent local news is a bit Shakespearean - both comical and tragic. Here are my thoughts...
1. Since when is Pam Saulsby on Channel 17 !? Oh, Pam, what happened?
2. A lot of junk happens in Durham.
3. A man was found dead at the bottom of a river with cinder blocks and chains...but no foul play is suspected. Ummm...?
4. One certain candidate is ahead with "people who are expected to vote", so the other candidate is pushing to get everyone else registered...Personally, I think it's the people who care enough and are responsible enough to register themselves, be involved, and go vote that should be choosing the president - not the random other people who don't care enough to vote except when someone else does all the work for them (including telling them who to vote for).
5. Homeless people vote. That's something I've never really thought about before.
6. Channel 17 news is not very good.
...oh, Pam, what happened?
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Prayer
Last Tuesday night at 2 a.m. I woke up. I couldn't catch my breath. I started panicking - which only caused my heart to start racing and my body to shake. Derrick was so amazing - even though I know he must have been scared. In the midst of this scary moment, all I could think to say - in between just telling him that I was scared and didn't feel right - was "Pray."
He prayed.
It didn't take away my symptoms. I was still freaking out, thinking the worst. But no matter how scared I was, I knew that it some way it would be okay. It may hurt. It may suck. But it would be okay. God would heal me. God would give me strength. God would work it out. God would use it for good. Or (in my freaking out state of mind) if I died, then I would be in heaven, whole and complete again.
(I'm much better now, by the way.)
When I watch television shows and someone gets in an accident or find out they have cancer or something tragic - I always feel like they should pray. I wait for someone to speak up and say "I'm praying for you." I wait for spouses to bow their heads or families to gather round. Of course, in the secular world, prayer isn't the natural answer. And that's sad.
I am so blessed to live surrounded by people who will pray for me. And I am so blessed to have a God who will listen.
"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" Psalm 46:1-3
He prayed.
It didn't take away my symptoms. I was still freaking out, thinking the worst. But no matter how scared I was, I knew that it some way it would be okay. It may hurt. It may suck. But it would be okay. God would heal me. God would give me strength. God would work it out. God would use it for good. Or (in my freaking out state of mind) if I died, then I would be in heaven, whole and complete again.
(I'm much better now, by the way.)
When I watch television shows and someone gets in an accident or find out they have cancer or something tragic - I always feel like they should pray. I wait for someone to speak up and say "I'm praying for you." I wait for spouses to bow their heads or families to gather round. Of course, in the secular world, prayer isn't the natural answer. And that's sad.
I am so blessed to live surrounded by people who will pray for me. And I am so blessed to have a God who will listen.
"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" Psalm 46:1-3
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Whoa! Smart phones and playing house...
Tonight I had dinner with three of my dearest friends - Cari, Jessica, and Whitney. These are friends that I've known all of my memorable life (since 3rd, 7th, and 10th grade). Friends I've grown up with. Dreamt with. Made a million memories with. Celebrated 13th birthdays and 16th birthdays and now 25th birthdays with.
We talked about being single and being married. Work and family. Dreams and fears. Television and books...all the same things we've been talking about for 13 years.
At the end of our time together, we all pulled out our smart phones and began to discuss scheduling our next time together over a month from now. And in that moment there were several things going through my mind:
1. Whoa! Has it really been seven years since we were seniors in high school? Seven years since my three friends turned 18? Whoa.
2. It's such an awesome blessing that we are all still friends after all this time. After different colleges, different states miles away, different jobs, different paths...And now we're on the other side of many of the things we used to dream about, and we're still doing it all together.
3. We took it for granted. See for many many years I didn't have to schedule time with these girls. It was simply part of life. We got to see each other every single day. We had lunch together every single day. We didn't have to catch up on each others lives, because we were each others lives. And we didn't realize at the time what an awesome gift that was.
4. Does the fact that I feel really cool and "grown-up" scheduling things on my smart phone make me a bad adult?
Yep, most of the time I still feel like that teenage girl dreaming about being older and married. But it's really fun to be there, even if it does feel like I'm just "playing house".
We talked about being single and being married. Work and family. Dreams and fears. Television and books...all the same things we've been talking about for 13 years.
At the end of our time together, we all pulled out our smart phones and began to discuss scheduling our next time together over a month from now. And in that moment there were several things going through my mind:
1. Whoa! Has it really been seven years since we were seniors in high school? Seven years since my three friends turned 18? Whoa.
2. It's such an awesome blessing that we are all still friends after all this time. After different colleges, different states miles away, different jobs, different paths...And now we're on the other side of many of the things we used to dream about, and we're still doing it all together.
3. We took it for granted. See for many many years I didn't have to schedule time with these girls. It was simply part of life. We got to see each other every single day. We had lunch together every single day. We didn't have to catch up on each others lives, because we were each others lives. And we didn't realize at the time what an awesome gift that was.
4. Does the fact that I feel really cool and "grown-up" scheduling things on my smart phone make me a bad adult?
Yep, most of the time I still feel like that teenage girl dreaming about being older and married. But it's really fun to be there, even if it does feel like I'm just "playing house".
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